Territory



(No Model.)

W; W. BUTLER.

FENCE BARB.

No, 248,999. Patented N0v. 1,1881.

d n Z WITNESSES INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS;

IL PETERS. Phntniltlmgmphcn \Vmhinglan. D C

Uivrrso STATES PATENT retest.

FENCE-BARB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 248,999, dated November 1, 1881.

Application filed August 27, 1881.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. BUTLER, of Boise City, in the county of Ada and Territory of Idaho, have invented a new and Improved Fence-Barb, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Domestic animals are apt to get themselves cruelly lacerated by coming violently against the barbs of ordinary wire fences, which barbs are always rigid (usually formed of a single piece of metal) and rigidly secured upon the strands of the fence.

My invention seeks to overcome this difficulty; and to this end my invention consists in providing a yielding barb to be attached in any desired position and by anysnitable means to the strands or bars of the fence.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents, in elevation, one plan of carrying my invention into effect, and Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Though I have shown in the drawings only one form of barb involving the principle of my invention, it is obvious that many other and perhaps simpler and cheaper forms might be devised for making barbs, which shall be capable of yielding to any pressure from the animal, and thus prevent, to a greater or less degree, injurious laceration of the animals; but the barb shown in the drawings is of the preferred construction, as it is universally yieldingthat is, yielding to pressure from all directionsthus furnishing a perfectly harmless yet effective barb. This barb is formed by first coiling the wire a into the shape of an elongated ellipse, leaving the stops or shoulders d d, and then forming the inward bends e c of the ends of the wire within the coil, and then bending the ends outwardly to form the needle-points b b, as shown. Upon the needlepoints I) b may be placed the buttons 0, which act as stops or shoulders to prevent all danger of the points entering too far into the body of the animal. Instead of these buttons the points I) b may be made shorter, so that the last coils of the wire will act as stops or guards to the points ora flange or other means might be secured to or formed upon the wire a suitable distance from the points to act as such stops or guards.

The barbs thus formed may be secured to (No model.)

the strands or bars of the fence in any suitable manner, either by soldering, brazing, weaving of the wires together, or by lashing with a separate piece of wire, or by the clasp A, (shown in the drawings,) which is U-shaped, and which is adapted to inclose several of the coils of the barb and the strand B of the fence, and then the arms thereof to be brought together, thus clasping and firmly holding the barb upon the strand.

The wire a, of which the barb is formed, should be of spring metal, so that its intrinsic elasticity will cause the barb after being bent out of place from contact with an animal to automatically resume its proper position.

Instead of coiling the-wire a to form the spring of the barb,which acts both at the outer end and at the base, the same result may be accomplished by folding the wire into several folds, so as to yield to both lateral pressure and end-thrust; but such form is not ornamental like the form shown in the drawings.

It is preferable to make the barb double, as shown in the drawings, so as to present a point upon both sides of the fence, as a less number of fastenings will thus be required; but single-pointed barbs may be made, if desired.

- Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A barb for wire fences, consisting of a coil of wire havingits ends bent within the coil and then outward to form the needle points or barbs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A barb-wire foe fences, consisting of a coil of wire in the form of an elongated ellipse provided with the shoulders d, and having its ends bent within the coil and then outward to form the needle points or barbs 1), substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Ina barb for wire fences, the combination, with coil provided with shoulders at and the needle-points b, of the button 0, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a barb for wire fences, tho combination, with coiled wire a and the fence-wires B, of the U-shaped clasp A, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 9

WM. W. BUTLER.

Witnesses:

B. F. TROMAN, GEO. W. NEUMAR. 

